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Squash makes great soup. Soup-making is a stress-lowering activity if you find the method that suits you -- quick and no hassle or slow and puttering.
Mary's easy low-fat squash soup makes a good quick lunch. When you have more time, yellow split peas with squash can be dressed up for a hearty soup-stew.

Squash Soups

1. Quick Squash Soup

1 pkg frozen squash, thawed
1 cup skim milk
2 T olive oil
Dash of salt, nutmeg and mace to taste
Heat and eat!
This makes about enough for 2 bowls.

If you have cooked fresh squash on hand, just as easy. It goes like this:
2 cups cooked squash (butternut, acorn, Hubbard)
2 cups water
3 T olive oil
1 tsp salt
nutmeg, mace to taste
1 cup skim milk
Combine squash, water, olive oil and cook until squash is desired consistency. Add salt, spices and milk. Simmer for a few mins. Add more water or milk to adjust consistency or richness. This will yield 4 cups of soup.

2. Hearty Squash Stew

Yellow split peas with squash combine in a hearty stew-soup that can make a meal. Freezes well in 32 oz containers and reheats quickly after defrosting in the fridge.

Split peas are high in fiber and fat free. A 1/4 cup (dry) serving size contains 10 grams of protein and 10 per cent of your daily iron requirement. Split peas have a trace of calcium, not much.

Yellow splits as base plus squash for bright juicy color can be helped with a dash of curry powder or turneric (curcumin). Then add virtually any winter vegetables and time them according to whether you prefer well-cooked or crisp (al dente).

Onions and garlic are essential. Diced tart apple is excellent with raisins (high in iron) and not over-sweet if you spice with curry, turmeric and tabasco or hot salsa. Add any veggie morsels you fancy. Chunks of extra-firm tofu make it a meal.

In a large pot, simmer for about an hour, till peas are soft not dried out:

While onions are cooking, combine the cooked split peas with:
2 cups frozen or cooked squash (butternut is good for this)
2 more cups water.
Mix gently and simmer. Add the browned onion mixture plus:

• A diced raw apple, 1/2 cup fresh cauliflower florets, a handful of raisins, curry powder or chili flakes to taste or
• A diced raw potato and a handful of shredded cabbage, spinach, or broccoli and/or a few chopped slices of sweet red pepper -- season with pepper and with sage, thyme, basil, or oregano
• Extra Firm Tofu, half a block, cut in bite-sized cubes